Summersnow
by Misura
Summary: Why does Mokuba wish for snow, while he knows it reminds Seto of their unhappy youth? [SetoJoey]
1. How it began

Summersnow

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey (established relationship), slight fluff, flashbacks.

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. 

written at 4th august 2003, by Misura

Key : _italics _= flashbacks * = time-jump in flashback-sequence

**********

"I wonder if anyone's ever succeeded in counting all the stars up there." Mokuba murmured drowsily. "There are so many of them."

"Several people did." Seto was a lot less sleepy than Mokuba. "I could probably find the exact number for you on the Net."

Mokuba's sigh was echoed by the third person on the balcony.

"You really don't have any sense for romance, do you, Seto-koi?"

Seto blinked, glaring at the speaker, a blond with soft brown eyes. 

"I fail to see the connection between a simple matter of astronomy and romance."

Mokuba sighed again, while Joey snorted. "That's exactly what I mean. *That*, " he pointed at the star-filled sky, "has nothing to do with science."

"Of course it does." Seto retorted. "Their position - "

"Oh, look!" Mokuba jumped up excitedly, his exhaustion forgotten for the moment. "A falling star! Make a wish!"

In silence, the three of them watched the moving light until it faded out of view.

"What did you wish for, big brother?" Mokuba asked finally.

As Seto opened his mouth to reply, Joey interrupted him quickly. "Hey, you can't tell him that! You have to keep it a secret if you want your wish to come true. Don't you know that?"

"More nonsense. How can you realize your dreams if you don't tell other people what you dream about?" Seto scoffed, then turned to Mokuba again. "I can't tell you what I wished for though, Mokuba. You're a bit too young for stuff like that."

Joey coughed uncomfortably at the look Seto sent him.

"What about you, Joey?" Mokuba inquired.

The blond shook his head. "Sorry, kid. Same as your big brother, I'm afraid."

Seto raised one eyebrow at that, as if doubting the truth of that statement, but he didn't say anything, so Joey simply told himself he'd have to bring the subject up some later time, when they had a bit more privacy.

"I live in one house with two hentai!" Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Eeewwww!"

Seto grinned, scooping up his little brother in his arms and hugging him. "So, what did *you* wish for, Mokuba? For me and Joey to get girlfriends?"

Mokuba giggled. "Noooo! Girls are icky!"

"Watch your words, kiddo!" Joey growled. "My sister is *not* 'icky'!"

"Yes, Joey." Mokuba nodded obediently. "Shizuka is very nice."

"You haven't answered my question yet, little brother." Seto chided, putting Mokuba back on his own feet. "Don't tell me we're too young to hear about it too."

Mokuba bit his lip. "I ... "

"Yes?" Joey encouraged him, wondering why Mokuba was so hesitatnt to tell them.

"I wished for snow." Mokuba said, very softly, not looking at Seto.

"In summer?" Joey exclaimed, while Seto paled and grabbed the railing to keep from falling.

__

"It was the snow. There was nothing anyone could have done." The policeman sounded like he felt guilty for having to bring the two children such bad news. "The road was slippery."

"I see." Seto replied.

"It's okay to cry, kid. It must be cruel to lose both your parents like this." 

"I will tell Mokuba."

"You don't have to ; I could - "

"No."

*

The two graves were covered in a white blanket.

Seto felt angry for a moment ; a place like this shouldn't look so peaceful. 

"B-big brother?" A small hand sought his. He squeezed it gently. "Can we go now?"

"Yes, little brother."

*

"You're not going out there." Cold eyes bore into his own. "I absolutely forbid it."

"But Mokuba's out there!" Seto protested. "I have to - "

"Mokuba has run away. It's his own fault if he freezes to death. He's worthless anyway."

"I must find him!" Seto pushed past the man, knowing he'd pay for it later, but not caring.

*

"Mokuba! Talk to me!" He shook the motionless boy in his arms gently, afraid to make things worse. The snow still fell thickly around them, making it hard to find his way back to the house.

He wished he didn't have to go back there.

"Mokuba! Little brother! Please!" Mokuba was his only reason for putting up with life, for not quitting. Without Mokuba, he'd have nothing left.

"S-seto! C-cold." Dark eyes fluttered open.

"Don't worry, Mokuba, I'll get you warm again soon!" Seto promised.

"Seto? You all right?" Joey eyed him worriedly.

"I'm fine." Seto managed.

"Hey, no need to act tough." Joey smiled. "Bet you're a bit more tired than you thought eh?"

"Hn."

"You're right, too ; it *is* pretty late. Time for bed! That means you too, kiddo!"

Mokuba pouted, but followed Joey and Seto as they went back inside.

~to be concluded in the second part~


	2. How it ended

Summersnow

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey (established relationship), slight fluff, flashbacks.

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. 

written at 7th august 2003, by Misura

Key : _italics _= flashbacks * = time-jump in flashback-sequence

**********

"Can I sleep with you guys tonight?" Mokuba asked.

The first time he had heard that question, Joey had nearly choked to death, but now he answered with a mere shrug.

He was reasonably sure he nor Seto had any energy to do anything other than sleep for what little remained of this night.

Mokuba had been sleeping in the same bed as his brother since they were very little. He still did, when he felt like it, even if he had a room of his own now, in which no one would dare enter without his permission.

"Or are you going to have sex?" Mokuba added, jumping aside just in time to avoid being grabbed by Seto again. 

Joey chuckled. He ought to support Seto in trying to raise Mokuba 'properly' he supposed, but the kid was way too much fun like he was.

Especially when Seto had one of his dark moods again, Mokuba's never-ending cheerfulness was a nice change. Without him, the house would be a lot quieter.

Without him, Seto might not have been alive anymore.

Oh, Joey had heard Mokuba's stories about how his big brother had saved his life more than once or helped him, but he also noticed the way Seto looked at Mokuba when the younger boy wasn't aware of it.

Seto loved him, Joey, too ; he didn't doubt that for a moment.

Only ...

"I'll go get my Blue Eyes." Mokuba bounced out of the room to retrieve his favorite plushie, thus giving Seto and Joey an opportunity to change into their pajamas.

Seto sighed. "Why does he always seem to have the most energy just before he has to go to sleep? It's not logical."

"Who knows?" Joey shrugged.

"Not the ignorant mutt, that's for sure." Seto's lips curled up in the ghost of a smile.

Joey hoped it was a sign that whatever had been troubling his lover earlier had been buried again. "Be nice, Seto-koi! Or I'll try make my wish come true right here and now!"

"While Mokuba could burst in the room any minute? I hardly think so." The shadows in Seto's eyes were fading, yet not completely gone yet.

"Hah. Like he doesn't spy on us at least two times out of three." Joey flushed a little at that thought. They had never been able to catch Mokuba at it, only at breakfast, Mokuba always seemed to know exactly what they had talked about the night before in the supposed privacy of Seto's bedroom.

"Only two times?" Seto snorted. "You're underestimating him."

"Probably." Joey sighed. "What about trying to make *his* wish come true then?"

Seto sent him an odd look. Joey wasn't pleased to see the darkness returning to those blue eyes.

"What about it? How can we make it snow in the middle of summer? Or at any other time, for that matter."

"Ah, finally something *I* know but you don't!" Joey crowed. "Just grab a pillow."

"Joey ... " Seto obeyed, not quite eagerly, but he did do as told. Maybe Joey's wish wasn't as impossible to realize as he had feared.

"It's simple, really." Joey smacked Seto -softly- over the head with his own pillow. "I'm surprised you haven't puzzled it out yet."

"It's three in the morning." Seto growled, using the pillow in his hands to hit Joey back, considerably harder. "I have spent my day working."

"No excuse." Joey raised his pillow again, only to find it blocked by Seto's.

A soft rain of feathers descended on them, just when the door opened and Mokuba walked in again, his beloved Blue Eyes in his hand.

Laughing, he dropped the plushie to the floor, to pick up a pillow of his own and jump on the bed, yelling 'Pillow fight!'. 

Soon, the entire room was filled with whirling feathers, white as snow.

"See?" Joey asked Seto with a satisfied grin. "Snow in summer."

"It's wonderful, Joey." Mokuba beamed, curling up next to Seto.

Seto didn't say anything, but the sparkle in his eyes and his flushed cheeks were more than enough to tell Joey he agreed with his little brother.

Mokuba yawned. "I'm tired."

"And about time too." Joey huffed.

"Mokuba?" Seto asked, still staring at the whirling white.

"Yes, big brother?" Mokuba smiled.

"Why did you wish for ... *that*?"

Mokuba's smile widened. "For the memories, big brother. To make you think of nice things when it becomes another white Christmas. Because I love you."

"Aaaah." Seto closed his eyes. "I love you too, Mokuba."

Joey felt like he was intruding on something, until he felt Seto's arm snake around his waist, pulling him closer.

"And I love you as well, Joey. Thank you."

They exchanged a chaste kiss, before settling down to sleep.

None of them was haunted by any nightmares that night, neither of what the past had dealt them nor what the future might bring them.

~OWARI~


End file.
